SPOKANE, Wash. – No. 1/1 Gonzaga men's basketball started the 2021-22 season with a 115-62 exhibition victory over Eastern Oregon in the McCarthey Athletic Center Sunday.
Playing in front of a sold-out crowd for the first time since the 2019-20 season, the Zags (0-0) never trailed and led by as many as 55 points late in the second half. GU forced 25 turnovers and turned that into a 38-3 advantage in points off turnovers. The Bulldogs also held a 70-22 advantage in points in the paint.
Gonzaga jumped out to 14-5 lead after the first five minutes, before leading by as many as 28 points in the first half, including a 55-27 halftime lead.
Julian Strawther scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. He was 3-for-6 from behind-the-arc.
Chet Holmgren added 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field in his Zag debut.
Kaden Perry had 12 points,
Drew Timme chipped in 10 points and three blocks, and
Andrew Nembhard and
Hunter Sallis both scored 11 points. Nembhard led all players with four steals.
Nolan Hickman dished out a team-best four assists.
The Bulldogs' 16 steals led to a 46-7 advantage in fastbreak points. GU also had 11 blocked shots. The Zags limited EOU (2-1) to 30 percent shooting from the field, while making 53.8 percent from the field.
Manny N'tula led the Mountaineers with 15 points. Brandon Porter added nine points, and Xavier Lovelace had seven rebounds.
Gonzaga welcomes Lewis-Clark State in an exhibition Friday. The Warriors (2-0) are ranked 20th in the NAIA Preseason national poll, following a national runner-up finish last season. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
